Happy New Year!

Yesterday, Mark Burns and I led our 26th Annual New Year’s Day Birding Trip
for the Brookline Bird Club (BBC)! At 9:00AM, 24 BBCers met at Cashman Park
in Newburyport where we toasted in the New Year with sparkling apple cider,
introduced ourselves, and reported on where we traveled from and what our
first bird of the New Year was. We had splendid weather with clear sky,
sunshine, light breezes, and warm temps (hi of 55df). We birded Salisbury
Beach State Reservation, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Ipswich, and
called it a day at 4:30PM at Jodrey Fish Pier in Gloucester. We tallied 58
species.

Red-throated Loon – 3

Common Loon – 14

Horned Grebe – 9

Red-necked Grebe – 4

Great Cormorant – 2

Canada Goose – 44

Mute Swan – 2

Gadwall – 6

American Black Duck – 87

Mallard – 111

Northern Pintail – 20

Common Eider – 163

Surf Scoter – 10

White-winged Scoter – 62

Black Scoter – 13

Long-tailed Duck – 14

Bufflehead – 8

Common Goldeneye – 3

Hooded Merganser – 7

Common Merganser – 4

Red-breasted Merganser – 12

Bald Eagle – 2

Northern Harrier – 4

Copper’s Hawk – 11

Red-tailed Hawk – 5

Merlin – 1

Peregrin Falcon – 1

Wild Turkey – 6

Sanderling – 14

Purple Sandpiper – 37

Herring Gull – 120

Ring-billed Gull – 30

Great Black-backed Gull – 16

Black-legged Kittiwake – 3

Razorbill – 23

Dovekie – 7

Rock Pigeon – 32

Mourning Dove – 5

Snowy Owl – 1

Red-headed Woodpecker – 1 (seen by a splinter group in Appleton Farm)

Red-bellied Woodpecker – 4

Downy Woodpecker – 5

Hairy Woodpecker – 2

Pileated Woodpecker – 1

American Crow – 9

Black-capped Chickadee – 21

Tufted Titmouse – 5

Red-breasted Nuthatch – 3

White-breasted Nuthatch – 4

Eastern Bluebird – 8

American Robin – 2

Northern Mockingbird – 3

American Tree Sparrow – 4

Snow Bunting – 40

Northern Cardinal – 2

Red-winged Blackbird – 14

American Goldfinch – 10

NORTHERN LAPWING – 1 (seen by the group at Maplecroft Farm)!

Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy, and Birdy 2023!

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Upcoming Field Trips

  • Belle Isle Marsh and Vicinity

    East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United States

    Led by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile, on flat, easy terrain for snowy owls and other raptors, native sparrows, finches, waterfowl, and other birds. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with adult chaperone. Binoculars recommended. ADA/Reasonable Accommodations [...]

  • Gulls at Revere Beach

    Revere Beach - Nearest to Wonderland Stop MA, United States

    Following the recent talk by Amar Ayyash, author of The Gull Guide, we will have a gull focused field trip at Revere Beach. Our trip will be about appreciating gulls, basic to advanced gull ID, and rare and unusual gulls. We may move to other locations based on recent reports but will start at the [...]

  • Halibut Point State Park, Rockport

    Rockport - Halibut Point State Park Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA, United States

    A two-hour walk, about 1.5 miles, over easy to moderate gravel roads and trails in search of seasonal specialties. Boots advisable. Restrooms are available. In case of inclement weather check with leader the night before trip.

  • Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond

    We will look for late fall migrants and new winter arrivals in Franklin Park. Beginners welcome and encouraged. Expect to walk up to 2 miles on paved paths. Loaner binoculars available. Co-sponsored with the Franklin Park Coalition and Franklin Park Tennis Association.

  • North Shore Waterfowl Expedition

    Topsfield Fair Grounds 207 Boston St, Topsfield, MA, United States

    We will visit several different water bodies in Essex County in attempting to see as many as 25 different species of Ducks and Geese. There will be some walking. We will end up at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Note that an entrance fee or pass is required to visit Parker River NWR.

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